Asking Municipalities to Find Four Per Cent Savings

Published on May 21, 2019

The Government of Ontario will provide funding for large urban municipalities and district school boards to conduct line-by-line reviews to find four cents on every dollar spent, and redirect those savings to core services.

MISSISSAUGA — The Ontario government is offering to help the City of Mississauga, Region of Peel, and our district school boards protect core public services for future generations by finding savings of four cents on every dollar spent.

The Ontario government is providing $7.35 million for large urban municipalities and district school boards interested in conducting line-by-line reviews to identify potential savings while maintaining vital front-line services through the Audit and Accountability Fund.

“Our government was elected to fix 15 years of Liberal mismanagement, put the province on a path to balance, and protect services like health care and education,” said Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario. “But the previous Liberal government was using the credit card to pay the mortgage and with interest payments costing our province $36 million a day, we can’t do it alone. We campaigned on finding four cents for every provincial dollar spent and we are asking our partners to do the same.”

In Ontario, over 90 per cent of provincial spending goes towards funding school boards, hospitals, municipalities and other outside organizations. By providing resources through the Audit and Accountability Fund, the government is offering to help empower organizations like the Peel District School Board to work towards our shared goal of returning the province to fiscal balance, while making sure vital programs and services are maintained.

“This funding will help us protect the frontline services that matter most,” said Rudy Cuzzetto, MPP for Mississauga-Lakeshore. “With the introduction of the Audit and Accountability Fund, we can help our partners find four cents on the dollar in savings, and make sure we can work together to provide sustainable public services for our children and grandchildren.”

In the 2019 Ontario Budget, the government put forward a plan that sets Ontario on the right path to achieve savings of four cents on the dollar, building on work done to realize four cents on the dollar in cost avoidance. The government’s plan also saw an increase in funding for health care and postsecondary education, supporting municipal transformation efforts, while moving forward on reducing the province’s debt burden.

“Municipalities and district school boards now have the tools they need to find real savings and protect what matters most to the people of Ontario,” said Ford. “Our government is ready and willing to roll up our sleeves and work with anyone who shares our priority of returning Ontario to fiscal health.”

Quick Facts

The Province of Ontario’s debt is currently in excess of $347 billion. Interest on the debt costs the provincial government more than $1 billion a month, or $36 million a day.

Over 90 per cent of provincial government spending is distributed to partners such as municipalities, hospitals, school boards and post-secondary institutions.

Through a comprehensive multi-year planning process, the government has found efficiencies and is delivering additional savings beyond the 2018-19 fiscal year while providing relief to Ontario individuals, families and businesses.